


Down the River

by Blindvogel



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Adventure & Romance, Alternate Universe, F/M, Minor Violence, The Old Kingdom AU noone asked for
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-03
Updated: 2017-07-03
Packaged: 2018-11-22 23:30:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,586
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11390679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blindvogel/pseuds/Blindvogel
Summary: The Abhorsen is dead, and the responsibility must fall to one of her children. When both her mother and her brother disappear, the mantle falls to Vex'ahlia. Now she must cross over to the Old Kingdom to fulfill her duties, and to find out exactly what happened to her twin.





	Down the River

**Author's Note:**

> A giant thank you to seimaisin for beta-ing and encouraging and generally be the loveliest friend.

_That her children were safe and cared for had always been the greatest blessing to her. Even if it had meant sending them away to their father behind the Wall when they were only seven. She saw them every new moon, didn’t she? Even if a sendling, a ghostly projection of herself, was all that they had of her. And she did visit twice a year, saw them grow and blossom and held them in her arms. Even if those visits could only last for a few days, they were precious._  

_ The Abhorsen doesn’t regret many things in her life but she does regret that she will pass the mantle to one of her children without having the time to teach them as she should have.  _

_She is running out of time as she forms the servant out of Free Magic and earth, then entrusts it with her most valued possessions and quickly sends it off. It will travel fast and safe until it finds them. She regrets that there will be no note; that they will wait for her on the new moon and she will not come. Suddenly she has so many regrets but regret won’t get her anywhere now._  

_ With a soft sigh, the Abhorsen stands tall and makes her last preparations. There are still things left for her to do. _

 

***

 

The dog had been run over minutes before. Its dark brown fur is matted with blood, honey yellow eyes glazed and unfocused. A young woman stands beside it, staring down at the animal with sadness and contemplation in her dark eyes. The starched white blouse, long blue skirt and sensible shoes mark her as a student, as does the enamelled Syngorn college badge pinned to her regulation navy blazer. A silver nameplate under the badge reads “Vex’ahlia”, and the roman numeral “VI” and small crown proclaim her to be both a member of the Sixth Form and a prefect. 

Vex lets out a soft sigh and then takes a good look around. There is no sign of the car that had just run over the poor animal and no other students followed her past the college gates when she heard the screeching of tyres on asphalt. She knows very well that she’s not supposed to do this but the tag on the dog’s collar states its name to be Trinket and Vex knows the little girl who would be inconsolable should her dog not return home to her. 

After another quick look around, Vex crouches down beside the dog and places her hand between the animal’s ears. Cold envelops her, coating her fingertips and the ground beneath her feet and knees with frost, and a soft whistle passes her lips. And then she has her hands full with a very enthusiastic Trinket trying to lick her face and wagging his tail. 

It was easy, really. She had only needed to reach into the current right at the wellspring of the river, not even requiring anything for the feat past her voice. Just whistle and pull the wriggling dog soul back to the body that she quickly patched with the Charter as she stepped from death to life. It’s laughably easy - she promised mother she wouldn’t do it. Because it was not a great step from bringing back a dog to bringing back a person. Vex regrets breaking her promise - but only a little as she imagines Velora’s happy face when she returns Trinket home to her.

“Get him cleaned up properly, at least,” a humorous voice sounds from behind her. Vex startles, then turns around to glare at her twin who had appeared as if from out of nowhere, as he was wont to do.

“I was about to,” Vex shoots back as she straightens out, keeping a hand on Trinket’s collar, and speaks the Charter for cleansing. She is glad that Vax makes no comment regarding her broken promise. He understands. 

Instead, he scratches Trinket behind the ear and gives her a small smile. “I won’t tell her, Stubby. Come, let’s get him home before the next lecture.”

Vex smiles back. She loves her brother, very much.

 

***

 

It is Vex’s and Vax’s last term at Syngorn college, the last two weeks actually. Vex has graduated with flying colors, coming first in English, Math and Music, fourth in Science. She takes second in Fencing and Etiquette - and a runaway first in Magic, though that will not be printed on her certificate. Magic only works this close to the Wall to the Old Kingdom and is only taught to children whose parents requested it. The twins’ mother insisted. 

Now Vex looks forward to discussing her future with her mother. She and Vax are their father’s charges until graduation day per the deal that their parents made but afterwards they are free to do as and go where they please. And Vex intends to do just that. Both she and Vax want to cross the border into the Old Kingdom and travel with their mother for a while, if she will allow it. They have plans to talk about this with her tonight. As usual, they are sitting in the Sixth Form study with a fire burning in the hearth and a pot of tea. (In previous years they had needed to sneak into the small library to find privacy.)

With her feet tucked underneath her and a book in her lap, Vex stares absently at the third - currently empty - chair across from them. Her brother has fallen asleep and the tea in her cup has gone cold by now - and it’s not like their mother to be late, in fact it’s the first time Vex can remember. Worry settles in Vex’s stomach and she turns to double-check in the Old Kingdom almanac even though she knows she calculated the date right. Tonight's new moon is on both sides of the wall and the magic strongest, allowing her mother to send her projection to this side. 

“Vex, Vex!” A high-pitched shout and a knock on the door draws Vex from her thoughts and wakes Vax, who sits up with a jolt in his chair. She quickly puts her book away and gets up to cross the room, finding one of the First Form girls in front of the door, her eyes big and round in fear and her face white.

“What’s wrong, what happened? ”

“I’m sorry, I heard noises from behind the courtyard door and thought it was Laina or Ana having a midnight feast without me. And I opened the door ...except it wasn’t Laina or Ana,” the girl is sobbing. 

Vex stares at her, aghast. Everyone knows not to open the doors at night, so close to the border of the Old Kingdom. 

“I slammed the door the moment I saw it, just…,” the girl continues to stammer but Vex doesn’t need to hear more. She takes off immediately, hearing Vax’s footsteps racing behind her as she sprints down corridors and down a staircase to the dormitories. Her heart is beating almost out of her chest when she hears the screams and cries from the First Form room and skids inside, into a gaggle of fourteen year old girls, all panicking. 

Her eyes dart to the open courtyard door and the dark shape standing in it. It’s as if someone had cut a man-shaped hole into the world, leaving only black, nothing behind. The thing doesn’t move and, to Vex’s surprise, carries a large sack in one of its hands, one that seems decidedly real. 

Vax appears at her side and after a quick glance at each other, Vex whistles the Charter for calm and quiet and they herd the now calm girls into the corridor before turning towards the thing in the door again. It still hasn’t moved but now swivels its head as if searching for something or someone. 

“I’m going to take a look,” Vax murmurs and goes still as he slips to the other side, into death. 

Footsteps behind her prompt Vex to quickly look back to see Enchantress Allura approaching. The Magic teacher is one of Vex’s favorites and also the most knowledgeable about the Dead beside her and Vax - being the children of the Abhorsen came both with the knowledge and responsibility. “What is it?” Vex can already hear the Charter in her voice, feels the symbols for fire and cleansing on her tongue.

“Vax will know in a moment,” she replies just as her brother returns to life. 

“It’s a Dead servant. It wishes us no harm… wait, I’ll try to talk to it,” Vax relays and then goes back again, while Vex and Allura watch intently for any change or movement.

As she watches, it takes a few sliding steps towards them, arm holding out the sack in their direction. Then it stumbles and the twins are moving as one, with Vex catching the sack before the servant disappears in front of their eyes, only a small mound of dirt now left of it on the floor. The sack is surprisingly heavy and she puts it down quickly as Vax sinks to his knees.

His eyes are swimming with unshed tears and his hands are balled to fists when Vex kneels down beside him. “She’s dead. M- Abhorsen is dead,” he presses out between clenched teeth and Vex feels her heart fall and shatter on the floor into a myriad tiny pieces. She doesn’t need to open the sack to know what it contains.


End file.
